


Becomes Two

by ideallyqualia



Series: Rare Pairs [49]
Category: Haikyuu!!
Genre: Alternate Universe - Final Haikyuu Quest, M/M, Pre-Relationship
Language: English
Status: Completed
Published: 2015-09-24
Updated: 2015-09-24
Packaged: 2018-04-23 06:14:17
Rating: General Audiences
Warnings: No Archive Warnings Apply
Chapters: 1
Words: 1,855
Publisher: archiveofourown.org
Story URL: https://archiveofourown.org/works/4866083
Author URL: https://archiveofourown.org/users/ideallyqualia/pseuds/ideallyqualia
Summary: <blockquote class="userstuff">
              <p>Iwaizumi tried to lead everyone through a cave under a mountain.</p>
            </blockquote>





	Becomes Two

"There's no need to panic, we're not in danger," Iwaizumi said to the group. "We'll just find another way out." 

Hinata looked up at the ceiling. A clump of rocks just fell and blocked the path they came from. It didn't completely block it, but none of them could fit through now.  

"Kenma, can you do anything about it?" Hinata pointed at the rock pile.

"I already used magic today," Kenma said.

"We already asked him to do a lot today, idiot. We can't depend on him for everything." Kageyama glanced back at the ceiling. "If rocks fell once, I think they can do it again."

"Let's just keep moving," Iwaizumi said. He and Aone started walking, and the others followed.

"This all your fault, you know," Hinata hissed to Kageyama. "You said there was a secret tunnel here." 

"We're not there yet!" 

"Can you stay quiet?" Kenma asked. He rubbed his forehead. 

Iwaizumi's eyes shifted at that, and he turned his head at Kageyama and Hinata. "He restores his magic better when it's quiet." 

The two of them grumbled apologies and faded into silence. Their footsteps echoed, but the echoes blended with the silence and rung along the walls lowly. 

Kenma shifted his hands on his staff. His magic was weak from healing injuries earlier. He could use simple attack magic, but his specialty was healing and helping others fight. It was for the best that he didn't really fight, anyway. He couldn't gauge how to help if he was busy.

They continued walking through the cave, with none of them being able to tell how much time was passing. Kenma could feel his magic returning, but slowly, with some of his energy wasted on walking. He was blinking sleepily, steps slowing from fatigue.

"Hey, what's that?" Hinata asked. 

"What's what? We can't see that far," Kageyama said.

"Isn't the ground shaking?"

Everyone stopped to pay attention, falling completely quiet and motionless.

Kenma felt something move under his foot. He lifted his foot to check, and a sharp edge of rock rose from the ground, the base of it getting bigger as it grew taller.

Hinata yelped and readjusted his hands on his sword's hilt, uselessly holding it in front of himself. The rock was rapidly growing in size, and a few more sprouted next to it in a line. Kenma almost fell trying to step away. Iwaizumi grabbed Kenma's arm and pulled Kenma with him, the sudden jerk of motion making Kenma stumble on his feet.

Kenma's arms landed on the other wall, elbows bumping into it, his hands holding on to his staff. He span to check on everyone.

The rocks stopped growing, but now it was a whole new wall. They met the ceiling in a jagged pattern, the sharp points not fitting completely enough to seal them away.

"Kageyama? Hinata? Aone? Can you hear me?" Iwaizumi asked, hands resting on the misshapen wall.

"We can hear you, but that's all," Hinata said from the other side.

"We're going to have to split up temporarily," Iwaizumi said. They spoke louder to be heard, but Kenma didn't think it was necessary. They didn't sound that muffled.

"Great," Kageyama mumbled.

Something thudded on the other side.

"What's the deal with this cave?!" Hinata yelled, and with another thud, Kenma guessed Hinata was pounding a fist or slamming his sword against the rock.

"Hinata, just give up on the wall. We'll try to find our own way out," Iwaizumi told them.

Kenma fiddled with his staff. He still couldn't break the rocks with his magic. He was tired, and his feet were sore.

Kenma followed Iwaizumi silently. The cave had branched paths that split further into a maze, so they weren't trapped. They were just lost. Kenma was satisfied with that, at least. What he wasn't satisfied with was the current silence. It was heavier without Kageyama and Hinata grumbling and arguing in whispers, and without the extra footsteps of other people.

Iwaizumi stopped walking. "You sound like you're tired. Do you want to rest?"

Kenma's attention immediately concentrated on Iwaizumi's voice. It was dark and quiet, and he was surprised by the sound.

"Yes, please."

Kenma heard Iwaizumi's armor clink with movement, and Kenma took that as a cue to sit down next to him. Kenma still couldn't tell how much time had passed since they entered the cave, but he thought that it might've been nighttime. He was genuinely sleepy now.

"What did you mean by rest?"

"Oh. Well… I don't know how long we can stay separated from the others without worrying them. Did you want to sleep? I can keep watch. I'm not that tired."

Kenma rumbled from his throat in thought. He liked that Iwaizumi thought out loud and tried to anticipate what he wanted, especially when Iwaizumi had a deep pleasant voice, but Kenma was sure that Iwaizumi was also tired.

"If it's fine with you," Kenma said quietly.

"Really, you should sleep."

Kenma set his staff down. He used to be uncomfortable sleeping in forests and caves, but with time from traveling he developed resistance to terrible places to sleep. Right now he remembered because he was aware that he was uncomfortable, more self-conscious with only two of them instead of the whole group. Kenma felt Iwaizumi's presence much more, even though it was dark. 

Kenma slept on his side, facing away from Iwaizumi. It wasn't as restorative as sleeping in grass or on a bed, but it was enough to refresh some of his energy.

Kenma got on his knees and rubbed his eyes after waking up. "Are you hurt anywhere?"

"I don't need to be healed, Kenma."

Kenma sat down.

"Are you ready to keep walking?" 

Kenma picked up his staff and stood up, dusting himself off with his free hand. "I'm ready."

They resumed walking, traveling side by side, with Iwaizumi slightly in front. Their group wasn't official in any way, but Iwaizumi was naturally deferred to for decisions, and he was the strongest along with Aone. He also knew the most about Oikawa, the one they were preparing to fight. Kenma automatically let himself fall behind Iwaizumi.

Kenma lifted his staff more. He could use magic now, but illumination magic to light the cave would be a waste when they weren't fighting or in danger.

"I can find the others with magic now," Kenma said. "Should I try?"

"Go ahead." Iwaizumi paused and turned, and he rested his sword's weight on the floor.

Kenma didn't know that much attack magic, but he knew support and field magic that some people thought were useless. Kuroo tried to show him how to use fire, but Kenma thought it attracted too much attention.

Kenma's staff glowed, and he felt its pull as a brief trail of light flickered through the cave, showing the path to the others.

"We should stay to the right for now," Kenma said as he lowered it. "There's a split up ahead."

Kenma didn't want to lead him even though he remembered the path his magic showed, so he stayed a step behind Iwaizumi. His hands slid around his staff and curled and uncurled, tense from being in the dark for so long.

Kenma heard a small faint rumble, and he nudged Iwaizumi. 

"Yeah, I heard it too."

"There's something wrong with his cave," Kenma said. "I think the walls and rocks are cursed."

"Well, if it keeps changing, then it'll take even longer to get out. Can you undo curses?"

"Sometimes." Kenma skimmed his hand over the wall. "I think this is too complicated to be undone."

Iwaizumi gave a frustrated sigh, heavy with his armor. He resumed walking, Kenma behind him. and silently experimenting with his magic. There wasn't a way for him to remove the curse, but he thought he could at least try to manipulate it or contain it to one part of the mountain they were in.

Kenma was more sensitive to noise than Iwaizumi. He heard dull pattering on the floor, and he straightened right away. 

"There's something over there." Kenma cast light ahead, and he saw a few spindly legs approach until Iwaizumi stepped in front of him.

Iwaizumi lifted his sword, swinging it in a diagonal arc across the spider's head. 

Kenma didn't think he could do anything, so he held back and stood behind Iwaizumi, keeping his staff up to light the area. Iwaizumi slashed at it, and Kenma heard grating squealing noises. After Iwaizumi twisted his sword in it, the noises died down, and Iwaizumi  let his sword drop to the floor with a metallic thump.

Kenma looked him over immediately, staff in his hands as he walked around Iwaizumi and lolled his head to the side for different angles.

"I'm not hurt, Kenma."

Kenma ignored him and picked up his hand, turning it over until he was satisfied. Iwaizumi's hand was warm, rough from holding his sword and twisting it around to fight, but still warm. Kenma knew what it felt like, he held it before, but he was still surprised at the feeling of it under his fingers in the moment.

"Alright," Kenma said, and he let it go.

Iwaizumi gave a heavy breath. "Just trust that I know my limits." He wasn't upset though, Kenma could tell.

Kenma didn't know how to respond. He looked up at Iwaizumi for a second, his eyes flickering from the brief glimmer of light fading from his staff.

Iwaizumi turned his head away, with sudden speed that made Kenma's mouth press together. It was almost like Iwaizumi was ducking.

Kenma tried to step around and look at his face, but Iwaizumi's hand fell to Kenma's shoulder and guided him forward.

"Let's keep going."

"Fine." Kenma took a step to the side and reclaimed his place next to Iwaizumi.

Kenma kept recasting his location spell once in a while, checking that they were heading in the right direction and also occupying himself in the silent darkness. Kenma didn't want to leave himself open to wondering and day-dreaming when he should be alert.

"I heard voices. Are they nearby?"

Kenma checked again, using a duller light trail to read their location. "They're close."

Iwaizumi held his sword in his hand, gripping it at a wary distance as a precaution against more unexpected animals. 

Hinata was the first to appear around a bend in the cave wall. He walked towards them, his shield held in front of him and his other arm bent over his shoulder to hold is sword upside down.

"You're alright!"

"Of course they're alright, they have each other." Kageyama moved behind them. "I'm useless in here with arrows, so I had to rely on Hinata and Aone," he said sourly.

Kenma was nudged away by Hinata, pushed to the back with Kageyama to make room for Hinata and Aone.

"Nothing happened. And Hajime was there," Kenma said. He slid his hands up and down his staff to make adjustments to his grip.

"Oh! Iwaizumi's the strongest here, so he'd protect Kenma, right?" Hinata asked.

"That's not what I meant," Kenma said quietly.

**Author's Note:**

> (General A/N that exists at the end of all my fics): I find unsolicited concrit really rude, I'm not looking for any. Please don't tell me someone was OOC/something happened you didn't like/it's too short/etc. in any bookmarks or comments.


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